PCG calls out Chinese vessels' dangerous maneuvers in latest resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said Chinese vessels again performed dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the follow-up resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

In a public briefing, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said BRP Cabra, BRP Sindangan, and two supply boats experienced dangerous moves from four Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and four Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels.

“Nang makarating po tayo dito sa distansya na 2.5 nautical miles sa bunganga ng Ayungin Shoal kung saan papasok na po ang ating supply boats ay naka-experience po tayo ng dangerous maneuvers ng apat na CCG vessels at ng apat na CMM vessels,” said Tarriela.

(When we arrived at 2.5 nautical miles in the mouth of the Ayungin Shoal where our supply boats were about to enter, we experienced dangerous maneuvers by four CCG vessels and four CMM vessels.)

“Nag-execute po sila ng different ways for the PCG vessels to be separated from the supply boats. So that they can be able to prevent the supply boats from entering the shoal,” added Tarriela.

(They executed different ways for the PCG to be separated from the supply boat. So that they could prevent the supply boats from entering the shoal.)

Tarriela said dangerous maneuvers are violations under the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).

The Philippines needed to conduct the follow-up mission on Tuesday as only one of the two resupply boats was able to deliver items to BRP Sierra Madre after Chinese vessels performed dangerous maneuvers and used water cannons against Philippine vessels last August 5.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar, meanwhile, noted a less aggressive behavior from China during the follow-up resupply mission.

“In fairness to them, I would say that there is a change in the behavior if you are to compare what happened on August 5 to what happened yesterday. They were not so aggressive,” Aguilar said in the same public briefing.

“Probably, they learned a lesson that violence has no place in this world. Especially, if that  violence is founded on something that is not acceptable to the international community. And that violence is doing to encroach or to suppress the rightful expression of rights of other countries,” he added.

Tarriela also noticed the decrease in the number of big CCG vessels deployed in the area during the follow-up resupply mission.

However, Tarriela said that it could be just optics for China to pretend that it is now less aggressive and show it to the world.

“You can also notice in the last resupply they deployed six big CCG vessels but this time they were only deploying two CCG vessels at dalawa dito mas maliit pa sa barko natin (and two of them are smaller than our vessels),” he said.

“I think this has something to do with optics. They want to show the world na kunwari they are really not that aggressive in preventing our resupply operations kaya nag-adjust sila ng dalawang mas maliit na barko (that is why they adjusted to smaller vessels),” added Tarriela.

Asked about Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian calling out the Philippines' supposed delivery of large-scale building materials to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Tarriela said “We don't need to explain what are the supplies that we need to bring onboard BRP Sierra Madre.”

Tarriela pointed out that Ayungin Shoal falls within the Philippines’ EEZ.

Asked if China has a right to dictate the Philippines regarding BRP Sierra Madre and its resupply missions, Aguilar said “None”. —VAL, GMA Integrated News